Post driver



Feb. 20, 1968 Filed Oct. 15, 1965 ii -J: ti: [RG34 G. E. MQGONIGAL T AL 3,369,616

POST DRIVER 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig./

Ma Gan/gal John 0. Me Gan/gal INVENTORS George E.

Feb. 20, 1968 Filed Oct. 15, 1965 G. E. M GONIGAL ET AL POST DRIVER Fig.5

3 Sheets-Sheet 5 n {I H H i: 32 W H l: H 50 ii I l I I III H III-g George 1:.Mc60niga/ Jahn D. McGon/ga/ INVENTORS 3,369,616 Patented Feb. 20, 1968 ice 3,369,616 POST DRIVER George E. McGonigal and John D. McGonigal, both of Gannett, Idaho 83329 Filed Oct. 15, 1965, Ser. No. 496,385 15 Claims. (Cl. 173124) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A vehicle supported post driver comprising a vertically disposed main frame provided with a sliding carriage having a drop-hammer secured thereto. A vehicle power take-off operated drive means carried by the main frame is provided to lift the drop-hammer. The drive means includes a normally continuously driven roller chain which carries a lift member which during its upward travel is adapted to liftingly contact a lift finger carried by the sliding carriage whereby the sliding carriage is intermittently lifted by said lift member and permitted to fall, and impact against a post to be driven, under the influence of gravity while the drive chain is generally constantly driven.

This invention relates to a post driver and more particularly to a power take-off operated post driver which is adapted for attachment to a vehicle such as a farm tractor, jeep, etc., to enhance the post drivers utility for the establishment and maintenance of fence lines.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a post driver having a main frame, or outer cage assembly which is adapted to be vertically supported by the attachment, or implement hitch, of a tractor or the like.

Another object of this invention is to provide a post driver of the drop-hammer type wherein the main frame assembly of the post driver slidably carries a driving frame or sliding carriage assembly to which is rigidly secured a drop-hammer.

A further object of this invention is to provide a post driver of the class described wherein the sliding carriage assembly provided with the drop-hammer is elevated preparatory to dropping by an improved power take-off operated lift means.

Still a further object of this invention is to provide a post driver wherein the drop-hammer lift means is constructed so as to permit the operator to selectively vary both the frequency of impacts on the post being driven as well as the force being exerted on the post being driven.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an improved means for transferring power from the drive means carried by the main frame assembly to the sliding carriage assembly.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a manually operable simplified control means adapted to control the transmission of power from the power take-off shaft of the supporting vehicle to the sliding carriage assembly as well as the selective braking of the sliding carriage assembly.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of an exemplary embodiment of the post driver of the present invention shown operatively mounted on the three-point hitch of a farm tractor or the like;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken substantially along the plane of the centerline of the post driver of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view of the post driver taken substantially along the plane of the line 33 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged rear elevational view of the post driver of FIGURE 1 with a portion of a safety shield broken away to show certain details of the drive means;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged front elevational view of the post driver of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view of a portion of both the main frame and sliding carriage assembly showing certain details of construction of the drop-hammer lifting means;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary horizontal vertical sectional view of a portion of the lifting means taken substantially along the plane of the line 77 of FIGURE 6; and

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary rear elevational view illustrating the manipulation of the post driver control means by an operator.

Referring now to the drawings and to FIGURES 1, 2, 4 and 5 in particular, it will be seen that an exemplary embodiment of the post driver comprising the present invention is indicated generally at 10 and is illustrated as being operatively positioned on a three-point hitch 12 of a farm tractor or the like 14 wherein the power take-off shaft 16 of the tractor 14 is operatively connected to the post driver 10 by means of a conventional universal joint 18 which is splined to the input shaft 22 of the drophammer lifting or drive means 20.

The post driver 10 includes a main frame assembly means, or outer cage indicated generally at 24 which includes a generally C-shaped elongated channel iron main frame member 26. The main frame member 26 is provided with a pair of opposed channel iron guide members 28 and 30 which are rigidly secured to the opposed inner surfaces of the main frame member 26, with their base portions contiguous therewith, by means of suitable fastening means such as the bolts 32.

As seen best in FIGURES 2 and 5, the channel guides 28 and 30 preferably extend substantially the entire height of the main frame member 26. The channel guides 28 and 30 of the main frame assembly 24 slidably carry a driving frame or sliding carriage assembly means indicated generally at 34.

The driving frame means 34 includes a driving frame member 36 formed of channel iron having a generally C-shaped cross-sectional configuration. The driving frame means 34 further includes a pair of slide shoes 38 and 40 which are rigidly secured to driving frame member 36 by means of a plurality of bolts 42, two of which may be seen in FIGURE 5. The slide shoes 38 and 40 are complementary in cross ection to the trackway provided by the channel guides 28 and 30 so as to be readily slidable therealong while being sized so as to preclude any undue rocking therein as the driving frame means reciprocates vertically. The guide shoes 38 and 40 are preferably cast iron, although it will be understood that other suitably rigid wear-resistant non-galling material may be substituted for the cast iron.

The driving frame means 34 includes a drop-hammer means or plate 44 which is rigidly secured to the driving frame member 36, adjacent the upper end thereof, by means of welding. As may be appreciated by referring to FIGURE 2, the drop-hammer plate 44 is preferably provided with a horizontally enlarged outwardly projecting portion so as to insure that the underside of the drophammer plate 44 will contact substantially the entire upper surface of a post being driven, such as the post 46 indicated in broken lines in FIGURES 1 and 3. As seen best in FIGURES 2 and 5,' the drop-hammer plate 44, and consequently the entire driving frame means 34, may be selectively weighted by adding one or more additional weights 48 thereto by means of suitable bolts 50 which pass through suitable apertures in the weights 48 and are threadably received in suitable threaded apertures provided in the drop-hammer plate 44.

The driving frame means 34 and its integral drophammer plate 44 are lifted relative to the main frame assembly 24, as shown by the broken line position of the driving frame means 34 in FIGURE 1, and permitted to drop upon the top of a post to be driven. The lifting of the driving frame means 34 is effected by the drive means 20 carried by the main frame assembly 24, which coacts by means to be described, with a lifting finger means 134 yieldably carried by the driving frame means 34.

As seen best in FIGURES 2 and 4, the driving means 20 includes avchain drive V-belt sheave 52 keyed to a shaft 54 which is rotatably journaled in a bearing 56 secured by means of welding or the like within a suitable aperture provided in the main frame member 26; On the end opposite the chain drive V-belt sheave52 the shaft 54 has keyed thereto a roller chain drive sprocket 58.

The roller chain drive sprocket 58 drives, in a manner to be described, a heavy-duty roller or sliding carriage lift chain 60. A roller chain idler sprocket tensioning means 62 is provided to adjustably secure a roller chain idler sprocket 64. The idler sprocket 64 is keyed to a shaft 66 which is rotatably journaled in a bushing 68 which is rigidly vsecured to a slidable plate 70 provided with a plurality of elongated slots 72 within which are received a complementary number of guide bolts 74 integral with the main frame member 26. The position of the plate 70 relative to the main frame member 26 may be adjusted by means of a threaded stud 76 which is welded or otherwise rigidly secured to the bushing 68. The stud 76 is slidably received within an outwardly projecting apertured tab 78 welded or otherwise rigidly secured to the main frame member 26. Threaded nuts 80 carried by the threaded stud 76 are compressed against the projection 78 to adjustably secure the longitudinal position of the bushing 68 thereby facilitating the tensioning of the roller chain 60.

The chain drive V-belt sheave 52 of the drive means 20 may be driven, or alternately braked, by means of a clutch and brake actuating means indicated generally at 82 which includes a clutch and brake carrier assembly 84. The clutch and brake carrier assembly 84 includes a generally shallow V-shapecl arm 86 which is rigidly secured to a shaft 88 rotatably journaled in a bushing 90 rigidly secured to the main frame member 26. As seen best in FIGURES 4 and 5, the bushing 90 and the shaft 88 journaled therein are preferably positioned adjacent the shaft 54 of the sheave 52 with the shaft 88 in parallel relation to the shaft 54. Adjacent its lowermost end the V-shaped arm 86 is provided with a rigidly secured bushing 92 within which is rotatably journaled a splined or otherwise keyed shaft 94 having its axis parallel to the axis of the shaft 54. The shaft 94 has splined or otherwise keyed thereto a power take-off driven V-belt sheave 96 which is driven by the power take-off shaft 16 through the universal joint 18 which is splined to the shaft 94. A pair of suitably sized V-belts 98 pass around the sheave 96 and the sheave 52. A lower belt guide 100 rigidly secured to the lower portion of the arm 86 is provided to permit the belts 98 from jumping off their respective sheaves. The manner in which power is transmitted from the sheave 96 to the sheave 52 will be described hereinafter, but it will be understood that the sheave 96 and the sheave 52 cooperate to drive the roller chain 60 to lift the drive frame means 34 by means to be described.

The travel of the roller chain 60 is braked by a V-belt brake pulley sheave 102 which is rigidly and nonrotatably secured to a shaft 104 which is rigidly and nonrotatably carried by the upper portion of the V-shaped arm 86, the axis of which shaft 104 is parallel to the axis of the shaft 54. A pair of suitably sized V-belts 106 pass around the V-belt brake pulley sheave 102 and the chain drive V-belt sheave 52. An upper belt guide 108 is rigidly secured to the upper portion of the arm 86 to prevent the V-belts 106 from jumping off their respective sheaves. The brake pulley sheave 102 cooperates with the chain drive sheave 52, in a manner to be described, to regulate the speed of, or brake the travel of the roller chain 60. The-clutch and brake actuating means 82 includes an elongated lever 110 which is rigidly secured to the V- shaped arm 86 by suitable means such as welding, for example, indicated at 112. One portion of a clutch and brake locking means 114 is carried by the upper portion of the arm 110 and includes a clevis 116 rigidly secured such as by welding to the arm-110. A clevis pin 118 pivotally secures a threaded lever within the bifurcation of the clevis 116. As seenbest in FIGS. 4 and 8 the threaded arm 120 extends outwardly a substantial distance from the clevis 116 and is accordingly biased downwardly by its own weight, although it will be understood of course that a spring might alsobe provided to bias the arm 120 downwardly for reasons which will become clear. The arm 110 is further provided with an integral elongated bushing 122 within which is carried a springbiased plunger 124 adapted. to bear against the end of the threaded arm 120 and first, limit the travel of the arm 120 and secondly permit movement of the arm 120 about the axis provided by the clevis pin 118 upon reciprocation of the button 124.

The threaded arm 120 is provided with a pair of threadably received downwardly projecting detents 126 and 128 I which may be secured in their adjusted positions by threadably received nuts 130 and 132, respectively. The detents 126 and 128 coact in a manner to be described, with a latch member to actuate the drive means 20 to arrest the movement of the roller chain 60, as will become clear.

Referring now to FIGS. 6 and 7, it may be seen that there is provided a driving frame lifting means indicated generally at 134 which includes -a bushing 136 rigidly secured such as by welding for example to a bracket 138 i which is in turn rigidly secured such as by welding for example to the Oshaped driving frame member 36. The bushing 136 is provided with a noncircular, and preferably square bore 140 within which is slidably carried a complementary shaft 142 of substantially greater length than the bushing 136. The lower end of the. shaft 142 is provided with a pair of lifting fingers 144 and 146 which are preferably rigidly secured to the lower end of the shaft 142 by means of welding for example. A helical spring 148 normally biases the shaft 142 and the integral fingers 144 and 146 downwardly. The shaft 142 is prevented from dropping out of the bushing 136 by means of a lock collar 150 secured to the upper portion of the shaft 142 by means of a through bolt 152. The upward travel of the means comprising the fingers 144, 146, shaft 142 and lock collar 150 is limited by a lift finger shaft stop 154 rigidly secured, such as by welding for example, to the driving frame member 36-in overlying relation to the stop collar 150. i

The roller chain 60 is provided with a pair of antifriction needle roller bearings 156 and 158 which coact with the lifting fingers 144 and 146 to lift the driving frame means 34. As seen in FIG. 6, the lifting fingers 144 and 146 are preferably provided with concavities such as at 160 so as to provide a maximum amount of surface contact of the lifting fingers 144 and 146m the outer race, or outer surface, of the bearings 156 and 158.

Referring once again to FIGS. 2 and 3, it will be seen that the post driver 10 may further be provided with a resilient post positioning means indicated generally at 162 which includesan elongated helical spring 164, one end of which is connected to a flexible chain 166 which is flexibly secured to the main frame member 26 by an eye 168 and the other end of the spring 164 is releasably secured to the main frame'member 26 by a chain 170 which is releasably secured by a hook 172 secured to the main driving frame 26.

The drive means 20 is preferably shielded, for reasons of safety, with a safety shield 21 provided with suitable through passages for the universal shaft 18 and the V- shaped clutch and brake carrier arm 86.

Referring now to the operation, as seen in FIGS. 1 and 3, a post 46 to be driven into the ground is positioned in axial alignment with the post driver beneath the drophammer 44 with the spring 164 hooked thereabout as shown by the broken line position, and power is then applied to the sheave 96.

With the clutch and brake operating lever 110 in the position shown in FIG. 4, the travel of the roller chain 60 will be arrested even though the sheave 96 is rotating by virtue of the fact that the belts 98 are not sufiiciently tight to drive the sheave 52. In this position while the belts 98 are loose the belts 106 passing around the sheave 52 and the brake sheave 102 are in their tightened condition wherein the rigidly secured sheave 102 and frictionally retained belts 106 arrest the movement of the sheave 52 and consequently the roller chain 60. To put the roller chain 61) into motion it is merely necessary to depress the button 124 thereby releasing the detent 128 from the latch 135 and simultaneously moving the lever 118 in the direction of the arrow indicated as clutch in FIG. 4 far enough to latch the detent 126 by the latch member 135. The movement of the lever 110 into the clutching position pivots the V-shaped arm 86 about the axes provided by the shaft 88 and simultaneously slacks up on the brake belt 106, by virtue of the fact that the distance between the axes of the shafts 104 and 54 decreases, and at the same time tightens the drive belts 98, by virtue of the fact that the distance between the axes of the shaft 54 and the shaft 22 increases, thereby transmitting power from the sheave 96, rotated by the power take-off shaft 16, to the chain drive sheave 52 thereby driving the chain in a counterclockwise direction as shown by the arcuate arrow at the top of FIG. 6.

Accordingly, it may therefore be seen that the antifriction rollers 156 and 158 secured to the roller chain 60 I are carried upwardly where they are brought into driving contact with the lifting fingers 144 and 146. The initial shock is taken up by the compression spring 148 after which the travel of the shaft 142 is arrested by the stop member 154 thereby carrying the driving-frame 34 with the drophammer 44 mounted thereon into the broken line position shown in FIG. 1. It Will be appreciated that as the anti-friction rollers 156 and 158 carried by the roller chain 60 start to pass over top dead center of the roller chain idler sprocket 66 the lift fingers 144 and 146 will fall clear of the anti-friction rollers 156 and 158 and the driving frame means 34 will drop downwardly guided by the guide channels 28 and 30 and impact against the top of the post 46 thereby driving the post 46 into the ground.

It will be further appreciated that the driving frame means 34 will be lifted, and consequently dropped, one time for each complete revolution of the roller chain 60-. It will be further appreciated that the rotational speed of the roller chain 60 may be controlled by utilization of the operating lever 110 to selectively drive, or brake the roller chain at any given position in its rotational movement, thereby controlling the movement of the antifriction rollers 156 and 158 in their oval path of travel. Therefore, by manipulating the lever 110 it is possible to arrest the movement of the lifting frame means 34 in any position of longitudinal travel desired. This of course in effect comprises a safety feature inasmuch as it is therefore possible to prevent the drop-hammer 44 from dropping. In addition, the bottom of the main frame member 26 is provided with a pair of driving frame stops 37 and 39 which prevent the driving frame means 34 from dropping out of the bottom of the guide channels 28 and 30.

By referring to FIG. 4 it will be appreciated that the tension placed on the respective belts 98 or 106 may be adjusted by selectively positioning the detent members 126 and 128 on the shaft 120 thereby adjusting the travel of the lever and consequently the travel of the V- shaped clutch and brake pulley carrier arm 86.

It may therefore be seen that there has been provided an improved post driver which satisfies the several objects of this invention.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A post driver adapted to be supported from a vehicle comprising a vertically disposed main frame means, a sliding carriage means operatively associated with said main frame means and adapted to be reciprocated longitudinally along said main frame means, a drop-hammer means rigidly secured to said sliding carriage means in outwardly projecting relation thereto, a supporting vehicle power take-off powered drive means carried by said main frame means and adapted to lift said sliding carriage means, said powered drive means including an endless drive member, at least one lift member carried by said endless drive member, said at least one lift member comprising an anti-friction roller, at least one lifting finger carried by said sliding carriage means and normally interposed in the path of said anti-friction roller during at least a portion of a revolution of said endless drive member, said lifting finger including means to release said sliding carriage to permit the carriage to drop under the influence of gravity to permit said drop-hammer to travel downwardly to impact against a post and the like positioned therebeneath.

2. A post driver adapted to be supported from a farm tractor and the like comprising a vertically disposed main frame means, a sliding carriage means operatively associated with said main frame means and adapted to be reciprocated longitudinally along said frame means, a drop hammer means rigidly secured to said sliding carriage means in outwardly projecting relation thereto, a supporting vehicle power take-off powered drive means carried by said main frame means, said drive means including clutch and brake means operatively connected to a sliding carriage lift chain means, said clutch and brake means being selectively operable to drive and brake the travel of said lift chain means, said lift chain means including a lift chain, a lifting finger means operatively connected to said lift chain and said sliding carriage means, said lifting finger means including anti-friction roller means secured to said lift chain and lift fingers resiliently yet rigidly secured to said sliding carriage means, said antifriction roller means being adapted to engage said lift fingers to lift said sliding carriage means as said lift chain is driven by said power take-off powered drive means.

3. The structure of claim 2 wherein said clutch and brake means includes clutch and brake carrier assembly having a generally V-shaped arm pivotally secured to said main frame means, a brake pulley rigidly and nonrotatably secured to one leg of said V-shaped arm adjacent the outer end thereof, a vehicle power take-off driven clutch pulley rotatably secured to the other leg of said V-shaped arm adjacent the outer end thereof, said lift chain means including a lift chain drive pulley rotatably carried by said main frame means, said drive means being provided with power transmission means drivingly connecting said lift chain drive pulley to said brake pulley and said clutch pulley whereby said lift chain drive pulley may be selectively driven or braked so as to control movement of said sliding carriage means.

4. The structure of claim 3 including clutch and brake actuating means carried by said main frame means, said clutch and brake actuating means including a clutch and brake operating handle rigidly secured to said generally V-shaped arm whereby said operating handle is adapted to be manually operated to pivot said V-shaped armso as to selectively drivingly connect said drive pulley with said lift chain pulley and brake the rotation of said lift chain pulley so as to control the-lifting of said sliding carriage means.

5. The structure of claim 4 wherein said clutch and brake operating handle is provided with a locking means adapted to selectively and releasably lock the operating handle in clutching and braking position.

6. The structure of claim 3 wherein said drop-hammer is provided with additional weighting means removably secured thereto.

7. The structure of claim 3 wherein said main frame means is provided with an adjustable lift chain idler sprocket adapted to tension said lift chain.

8. The structure of claim 3 including a resilient post positioning means releasably secured to said main frame means whereby a post to be driven may be retained in position to be driven into the ground by said drop-hammer.

9. A post driver adapted to be supported from a vehicle. comprising a vertically disposed main frame means, a sliding carriage means operatively associated with said main frame means and adapted to be reciprocated longitudinally along said frame means, a drop-hammer means rigidly secured to said sliding carriage means in outwardly projecting relation thereto, a supporting vehicle power take-off powered drive means carried by said main frame means, said drive means including clutch and brake means operatively connected to an endless drive member means, said clutch and brake means beingselectively operable to drive and brake the travel of said endless drive member means, said endless drive member means including endless drive member, a lifting finger means operatively connected to said endless drive member and said sliding carriage means, said lifting finger means including roller means carried by said endless drive member and at least one lifting finger resiliently rigidly carried by said sliding.

rotatably secured to one leg of said V-shaped arm adjacent the outer end thereof, a vehicle power take-off driven clutch pulley rotatably secured to the other leg of said V-shaped arm adjacent the outer end thereof, said endless drive member means including an endless drive member drive pulley rotatably carried by said main frame means, said drive means being provided with power transmission means drivingly connecting said endless drive member drive pulley to said brake pulley and said clutch pulley whereby said endless drive member drive pulley may be selectively driven or braked so as to control movement of said sliding carriage means.

11. The structure of claim: 10 including clutch and brake actuating means carried by said main frame means, said clutch and brake actuating means including a clutch and brake operating handle rigidly secured to said generally V-shaped arm whereby said operating handle is adapted to be manually operated to pivot said V-shaped arm so as to selectively drivingly connect said pulley with said endless drive member drive pulley and brake with the rotation of said endless drive member drive pulley so as to control lifting of said sliding carriage means.

12. The structure of claim 11. wherein said clutch and brake operating handle is provided-with a means adapted to selectively lock the operating handle in braking position.

13. The structure of claim 10 wherein said drop-hammer is provided with additional Weighting means removably secured thereto.

14. The structure of claim 10 wherein said main frame means is provided with an adjustable endless drive mem ber idler sprocket adapted to tension said endless drive member.

15. The structure of claim 10 including a resilient post.v

positioning means releasably secured to said main frame means whereby a post to be :driven may be retained in position to be driven into the ground by said drophammer.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,348,820 5/1944 Jordan et al. 173--53 2,792,689 5/1957 Phares 173-124 X 3,098,396 7/1963 Unruh 74228 X 3,205,952 9/1965 Sicotte 173-124 3,207,236 9/1965 Shriner et al 173-53 3,306,372 2/1967 Struve 173-25 MARTIN P. SCHWADRON, Primary Examiner.

FRED C. MATTERN, Examiner.

L. P. KESSLER, Assistant Examiner. 

